Best Tattoo Shops In Richmond

“This was my second time doing a back-to-back 2 day session with Jesse Smith. He's talent is only outshined by his humanity. You can just tell hes a great person to his core. Its truly an honor be a customer of his and to get to know him through his artistry and conversation over our sessions has been a privilege. He has a a great style and light touch especially over the sensitive areas. You can tell hes a veterans by the way he moves light and quick in these areas and still commited to the details. In love with my tattoo!! Thanks Jesse“

“Loyal to this shop. Ben Butts did my first tattoo before he moved. David Locke has done my others and they had such a great vibe and done such amazing work they are the only shop I go to. Just moved back to the RVA and can not wait to get some more from AFOT“

“Katie has done two of my tattoos, and we just had a consultation for a third. She always listens carefully and is truly collaborative with me in the design process. I trust her expertise and artistry explicitly. Her work has held up phenomenally well (I take good care of it, but still...). I'm 50, and the piece she did for me 9 years ago is still mistaken regularly for being brand new. Can't wait to get the next one!!“

“I started my leg sleeve with Dylan, and the entire experience was great. Everyone i met and spoke with were super nice. Dylan is a great artist, from his design skills to just having a great personality. It made the entire experience great. I can't wait to come back and start the next session! I can't recommend Favle Tattoo Gallery enough to anyone that is looking for their next tattoo.“

“Charlie did an awesome scorpion tattoo on my husband's hand. It was his first on his 81st birthday. It's out there in your face which is what he wanted. Charlie is meticulous, professional, a talented artist, and put us at ease through the process. My husband is planning his next tattoo on his other hand.“

“One of the coolest places in Richmond. I have been fortunate to get a full back piece and am currently working through a calf sleeve with Betsy. The experience has been amazing. All of the artists are next level. More importantly, everyone is so welcoming. Walking into a shop can be intimidating, but all of the folks here made me feel at home right away. Can't recommend this place enough.“

“They were really nice for my first ever tattoo that I had done by Lindsay, who rules! Everyone here was nice and welcoming, and boy was I nervous so I really appreciated that. I found the vibe to be very therapeutic. Tattoos do indeed hurt, and I found it helpful to look around at all the cool stuff they have all over their shop.

Requested style: Bad Brains rasta Banned in D.C. lightning bolt hitting Minor Threat Out of Step black sheep

Cleanliness: It was more than clean. Hard to describe how much respect and focus they had on cleanliness. Also, Lindsay was very verbose and informative about treating a tattoo as an open wound and all the important considerations that come with that. I was clueless as a noob, so this helped me out a ton

Stylist: Lindsay is a talented artist and a really nice person. If I get another tattoo I would gladly return to her“

“Everyone at the shop was fantastic to work with. I got the same personal service as a walk-in that I’d expect from going there for years. Colter was my artist and he will work with you to get it right, and even as someone who has trouble with nerves, I felt right at home. The design is exactly what I wanted. I’d go back even though it isn’t exactly local for me. Bonus points for the awesome playlist while I got my piece done. ?“

“Dianna and Kim are amazing! If you get the opportunity to meet them and receive a one of a kind amazing tattoo you will be beyond pleased! I may sit in Dianna's chair but Im so thankful to now call them lifelong friends! If they'll have me! Ive gotten four already and Im scheduled for another one.“

“Beautiful! I’ve received so many compliments already. Sadia is a beautiful soul and her energy was felt while getting my henna which was a plus. She fully explain the after care and the design looks amazing once dried. I can’t wait for my next appointment.“

“I had a really BAD tattoo experience back in Aug. of 2024. I loved my tat but he went waaaayyyy tooooo deep and caused blurring. The cause of the blurring was my reasoning. I went to Amy, today, with some suggestions to fix the blurring. I explained what I was thinking and she just drew, freehand, exactly what I described. I was nervous because of the excruciating pain of my tat back in Aug. She worked her magic and the pain level was 1 with a pain scale of 1-10. I barely noticed she was giving me a tattoo. My design is exquisite to my eye. The level of color is the exact same as my tat that hurt like an SOB back in Aug. Amy is a TRUE artist and is a gem on Cary Street in Richmond, Va.“

“We got our youngest girl's ears pierced and everyone was fantastic. They did an amazing job of keeping her calm and thoroughly explained what was going to happen and how to care for her new earrings. Wonderful staff and an amazing experience.“

“Terry was amazing! Had a fantastic first experience at the shop. The vibe at the whole place was great, will definitely be back!“

“Slim was very patient with me and did an amazing job at helping me figure out what to get. Good prices too ?“

“My friends and I stopped in for some ink..shout out to Nelson for taking care of me during my visit from NYC...“

“I went to Emily (@erea.tattoo) for a scorpion tattoo. Her skill is exemplary - light touch and great precision. We got to talking about a 1/4 sleeve floral project I’ve been wanting to find someone to do. Emily was super excited to draw up the art for it and I went in last week and got the best tattoo. Again such a great touch and the color is packed in perfectly. My favorite tattoo by far! And they both healed spectacularly.“

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“Me and my daughter have both received tattoos from Leigh Odom. He is very professional and does an Awesome job Each and everytime.“

“Sean, aka Squirrel, tattooed the MOST PERFECT mushroom for me!! The entire staff was flippin AWESOME, and I can't wait to go back!
Thank you Sean, and thanks to the entire staff for such a great atmosphere and experience!!!“

“I had a fantastic experience at Black Rabbit! I live 1 hour and 30 minutes away, but I wanted to make the trip to get a tattoo here because I was under the impression it was a safe and welcoming space. When I say it was exactly that, it was! The aethetic is top notch and everyone there was so nice.
I highly recommend coming here if you are nervous about your experience, especially with Raigan! She was so kind and patient and made my day.
10/10 would recommend!“

“AJ was awesome. I walked in and he was able to do 3 tattoos at a great price and was out of there in no time at all.“

“Great service. Friendly staff. Fair prices. Still can’t quite believe that art this good is on my body.“

“Amanda has all three Michelin starts “ Exceptional tattoos, worth a special journey.” Fortunately I only live 50 miles away but when I move away I’ll have to start flying in. Well worth it.“

“Loved my experience here. Nick listened to what I wanted and he delivered it. He is such a pleasure to be around and very easy to talk to. He had a playlist playing while he tattooed me and there are so many focal points in his room (which is upstairs of the shop), to focus on while working on your breathing to keep yourself calm. Nick has been tattooing for 17 years and his work speaks for itself. I'd been wanting to get tattooed by a Nick for probably 3 years now. But I wanted it to be a custom piece. I've come to love the traditional style more than I thought I would. So I knew Nick was the man to create this ship for me. As he said, he has a gentle hand. I felt comfortable in his presence and enjoyed my experience here. The shop is clean and well maintained inside.“

“Took my daughter to get her septum pierced. She went in very shy and nervous, but came out feeling like a boss. Charlotte was the one that pierced her, and she couldn't have handled it better. There was no chit-chatting. It was all business (in a good way) and was over in less than a minute. She didn't give my daughter time to get worked up. She needed that. And when she saw the finished product in the mirror, she was ecstatic. Definitely seek out Charlotte at enigma.“